Asia markets slip amid rising Japan–China friction

November 17, 2025 (MLN): Asia markets delivered a mixed performance on Monday as investors monitored escalating tensions between Japan and China, following Beijing’s advisory urging its citizens to reconsider travel and study plans in Japan. The warning triggered sharp declines in Japanese tourism and consumer-exposed stocks.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dipped 0.63%, while the Topix slipped 0.44%. Several companies heavily dependent on Chinese tourists and spending saw steep losses. Shiseido tumbled 11%, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings sank more than 10%, Oriental Land operator of Tokyo Disney Resort fell 4.74%, and ANA Holdings declined 3.48%, according to APP.

The selloff came despite Japan’s economy shrinking by a smaller-than-expected 0.4% in the July–September quarter compared to the previous quarter.

Across the region, markets were mixed. South Korea’s Kospi surged 1.78%, while the Kosdaq added 0.68%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.51%, and China’s CSI 300 ended flat. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.26%.

Investors also awaited key data releases, including Thailand’s Q3 GDP and Singapore’s trade numbers due later in the day.

On Wall Street, tech stocks helped stabilize sentiment after a sharp selloff earlier last week. The Nasdaq Composite inched up 0.13% to 22,900.59, snapping a three-day decline as investors bought into major technology names.

The S&P 500 closed nearly unchanged, down 0.05% at 6,734.11, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 309.74 points, or 0.65%, to 47,147.48.

All three major U.S. indexes recovered substantially from their intraday lows, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 having been down as much as 1.9% and 1.4%, respectively, and the Dow having fallen nearly 600 points.

The rebound in U.S. tech helped ease some concerns, but global markets remained cautious amid geopolitical strain and fresh economic indicators due throughout the week.

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